International Women's Day: Cavita

Q&A with Adriana Cavita, chef owner and Ana Lucia Alonso, Operations Director at Cavita. 

Tell us about your role and your business…    

Adriana: I’m chef owner at Cavita, a Mexican restaurant focused on sharing Mexican culture and the authentic food of my home country. We use ancient techniques, local ingredients and Mexican native products. I have spent a lot of time in restaurants around the world honing my skills and learning how to showcase the best of Mexican cuisine.  

Ana Lucia: I am the co-founder and director of ‘Cavita’, a restaurant which opened in Marylebone Village in April 2022. My role is multifaceted, and I am using the breadth of knowledge gained after 21 years in the hospitality industry. As well as being head of operations, I have responsibilities dealing with communications and brand development. We have a great team, but there’s a huge amount that sits on my shoulders, which can be immensely rewarding and exhausting in equal measures. 

The restaurant itself is an amazing concept co-created by my business partner Adriana Cavita, which showcases her incredible breadth of experience in Mexican food and culture. Our hope is to bring the most authentic culinary experience with the unique hospitality that exists within Mexican people. 

What challenges have you faced as a woman in your industry, and how have you overcome them?  

Adriana: I have faced a variety of challenges, from proving I can be strong and professional in the kitchen, to dealing with difficult people in the industry and overcoming my own fears and moving to a different country by myself. The most important lesson has been to see the positive in each experience and situation rather than focusing on the negative. I try to be centered and focus on my own path.  

What made you choose Marylebone Village as a destination for your restaurant? 

Adriana: Marylebone Village is the perfect place for Cavita. The people who come to the area are real foodies and open to trying out new things. I also love the community feel of the area; it really does feel like a village! We can’t wait to become part of the community.  

Which women have inspired you most throughout your life? 

Ana Lucia: There are many women who have inspired me throughout my life. From Coco Chanel, who ruled Parisian haute couture for almost six decades, building an empire with determination, confidence and vision, understanding women’s fashion needs, to Marlene Dietrich who contributed to feminism through fashion, influencing generations of women after her, lending many the confidence and power of wearing a suit during a time where it was considered extremely scandalous and taboo, to Coretta Scott King who devoted much of her life to women's equality and Beyoncé bringing the feminist movement to modern-day pop culture.

But the woman responsible for who I am today is definitely my mom. She was an inquisitive and resourceful woman.  She noticed small but important details that others may have overlooked and she had a sharp intellect that helps her respond to situations deftly. She was a woman ahead of her time, she dyed her hair pink when it was revolutionary, just to show her clients at the hair salon it could be done.  She encouraged her daughters to be independent, to always have the opportunity to choose what and who to be.